OSTENSIBLY joyous, the festive season can also be busy and stressful, with quality sleep an unfulfilled Christmas wish.
The good news for us punters - though possibly not pharma companies in the sleeping pill biz - is there's a simple military hack that may help send you to the land of zeds.
Developed by the US Army to help fighter pilots fall asleep in noisy and stressful situations, the method claims to help you nod off in two minutes, and apparently works for around 90 percent of those who try it.
The idea is that with a combination of deep breathing and visualisations you shut the body down, one bit at a time.
Lying in a comfortable position on the bed, visualise relaxing the muscles in every part of the body, starting with your forehead and moving down through your eyes, cheeks and jaw, while focusing on breathing.
The relaxation continues to your neck and shoulders, making sure your shoulders are not tensed up, and then imagine a "warm sensation" travelling from the top of your head all the way down to your fingertips.
Then take a deep breath and slowly exhale, relaxing your chest, stomach, thighs, knees, legs and feet, again imaging the warm sensation going all the way down to your toes.
Now visualise lying either in a canoe on a calm lake with nothing but clear blue sky above you, or in a black velvet hammock in a pitch-black room, and then zzzzzz....
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 19 Dec 24
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